ROAD rage and other angry outbursts can drastically shorten your life, according to a study.

Men aged 35 who admitted they had a short fuse were almost twice as likely to be dead when the study ended 35 years later than those less quick to get angry.

The most fiery 25 per cent had a 1.57-fold greater risk of dying early than the calmest 25 per cent, US researchers using more than three decades of population data found.

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The research was carried out by Iowa State University

Anger is a form of stress and stress increases cortisol levels in the bloodstream

Graham Price, psychologist

Income, marital status and smoking habits made no difference, according to findings of the Iowa State University team published in the journal Social Science & Medicine.

The study did not investigate why the angriest were more likely to die. But London-based psychologist Graham Price said: “Anger is a form of stress and stress increases cortisol levels in the bloodstream.

“Studies have shown that stress maintained over long periods can negatively impact on health, with the risk of irritable bowel syndrome or increased strokes and cardiac problems”.

West Londonbased psychotherapist Hilda Burke said: “Anger, such as being sacked without compensation, can propel us to confront the issue and fight for a severance package.

“Blind rage we feel in a traffic jam is simply not worth the fight.”

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Stress increases cortisol levels

Harley Street psychologist Dr Becky Spelman said: “The least healthy people tend to be angriest, as fitness and diet make a huge difference to our self-esteem, usually the source of our anger.”